DYI WBBB Hammock Thoughts (Plans)

[Snowball]

Could you measure the #3 YKK zipper slider please? I have no idea about of the size. I have some other no-name zippers here but don't know what size they are. I think they would be too small for a hammock.

The zipper is 24mm wide.
The coil is 4,2mm wide.
The slider is 10mm long and 8mm wide.
IMG_20150206_194613.jpg IMG_20150206_194708.jpg Backside.jpg #3.jpg

Apparently you are a big guy so maybe you should go for a #5 but please also have in mind the zipper may not be the weak link. It may be the bug net but it depends on what you do and how well you take care of you gear.
I am about 88kg and I haven’t had any problems with the #3 zipper yet but truths be told I haven’t used as much as another hammock with a #5 zipper.
I have a parcel waiting for pickup and my intension is to make a WBBB clone with a #3 zipper. Until I have a zipper failure I trust the #3.
Another benefit the #3 is its more flexible. I regard that as a benefit when its stored in a bag and may be compressed somewhat.

[Snowball]

The difference between #3 and #5 in case you wonder. The ruler is in mm.
Zipper 3 & 5.jpg

[xxl_hanger]

Thank you very much, Snowball!
I looks like that that the best solution for me would be a #4 coil zipper.

[xxl_hanger]

I compared the #5 YKK coil zipper with the other #5 no-name zipper I got.

The width of the coil is in both cases 6mm. It looks also that the coils of both zippers are the same. In both cases a continuous wrap of nylon filament. The tape of the YKK zipper seems to be nylon too. The tape of the no-name zipper is slightly lighter material but of good quality too. The total width of the YKK is 32mm. The no-name zipper has a width of 30mm.

All sliders are mixable. There is nothing special which the YKK sliders I have. The no-name sliders are much smaller and fit on the YKK zipper too. But I found out that the YKK sliders are much easier to handle and to thread in.

The YKK zipper has a weight of 19g/m. I think the no-name zipper weighs about 18g/m. The YKK has because of the tape perhaps a somewhat higher quality, but is expensive and only available in black. The No-Name Zipper is cheap and available in almost all colors. The quality is not bad. Important: The YKK 5C both-sided sliders fit on the no-name zipper.

The no-name zipper is available also as #3 zipper in almost all colors for €2.9/5m.

Next time I need a zipper I will try to save some money. Perhaps I will still buy a cheap #3 zipper and buy from ExTex the 3C both-sided sliders only. I have to think about it because I want to save the shipping expenses too.

Btw: I made already a new small protracted WBBB model with paper only. I wrapped the paper after the cut, to make it a little stretchable. That works for this purpose. I changed the footbox area a bit as I have already explained it. I made the adjustments with a sense of proportion only and it fit on the first try almost exactly. The math for the stretch of way were to complicated for me. I think my adjustments make sense. I could reduce the obvious stretching in the footbox area substantially and now it will be also easier to sew a zipper on the other side. However, I'm still not satisfied with the total layout. I will try to make even better before I cut my fabric and start to sew. This is important for me. If I cannot fix all problems witch I see in my models I would prefer a complete other and much easier hammock model - perhaps I would do it like Xtrekker (cloning papasmurf's "Danger Bird"). Based on my experience I made with my small models I'm quite sure that the plans which TheXringHunt left behind in this forum are not exactly brilliant. They are good but I'm sure it could be done much better - like Warbonnet does it. The problem is. I have never seen an original Blackbird.

[xxl_hanger]

The usage of normal copy paper for modeling a blackbird was imo no bad idea. Don't no what means could be better. I thought already I should use a plaster model or something similar and proceed like a shoemaker. With wrinkled paper one can feel and see abnormal or undesired tensions at once. And it's easy to adapt a paper model. I finished my first small paper model which looks like a blackbird and behaves like a hammock if I simulate normal RL tension. All prior models I formed on the basis of the original TheXringHunt plans for the panels were warped or looked like a picture of misery. More or less by trial and error or mistake I found a complete new pattern for the footbox/shelf panel. But I think there is still much room for further improvements.

If i realize this hammock I will call it "The Little Carbatina Bird". The paper model looks like a left child's slipper (8" long). However, I can imagine already that the final hammock (11' long with a 9' RL) would have almost an even lying surface and there would be plenty of room for my 6'5" body.

[Snowball]

I partly finished my 10’ clone and tested it. I am just over 6’ feet (183cm) and normally I like long hammocks but this one is too big for my taste I think I will cut it down to 8 ½’ or 9’. Fortunately I haven’t reinforced the seams or made the bug net. To be honest it surprised me it was this big.

[Snowball]

I partly finished my 10’ clone and tested it. I am just over 6’ feet (183cm) and normally I like long hammocks but this one is too big for my taste I think I will cut it down to 8 ½’ or 9’. Fortunately I haven’t reinforced the seams or made the bug net. To be honest it surprised me it was this big.

I removed the food box side panel and shortened the hammock to approx 9’. I did not have materials to make a new side panel so I made some mods in the head end(shelf). The shelf became shorter and narrower. It made a world of difference for me. So much better. However I would call this project a failure and I think mostly because of things and decisions I made so I will cut my losses and go in another direction while I can.

All is not lost because I learned valuable lessons.

Be very careful with lighter materials. This will of cause depend on your body weight. There is more stress on the materials vs. on a normal hammock.
The easy way to join the panel with the hammock is to overlap (single layer), stitch and hide it under grosgrain. It may work for lighter persons again depending on the materials but I would recommend hemming before stitching them together. I did not use the single layer method but kind of a roll method and the fabric showed signs of stress in some places.

If I was to make a new hammock from this design I would definitely drop the reinforcement fabric for the shelf and go for a stronger material. Maybe not for all the panel but at least half way up to the shelf (the foot end). I have tried this design twice and the first time I used smaller prices. This time it was better but no cigar. Both times I had problems fitting the materials so they line up and then the seam becomes a stress point and it does not look nice when it stretches.

The last thing is selecting the size of hammock you want to build. It is actually the first thing
Bigger is not always better. It depends.

I have made several hammocks with different foot box designs including this design and in my experience you benefit the most from a foot box if the pointy end of the triangle is almost aligned with your feet (+ 4-8”). If you select design too big for you are likely to move towards the center of the hammock to exploit the foot box.

As others have written hang the head end lower than the food end. It does make a difference! IMO about 8-10” will do.

If you are creative you still can use these drawings but modify for your own needs and perhaps move the foot box according to your sweet spot.

Your experience and needs may be different so form your opinion.

[Snowball]

After my failed project I have been thinking. Apparently some don’t like the high side by the shelf and I am one of them. So why not make a cat cut at the top end of the side? I think 6”-8” would be what I would go for. It will lower the side but I am not sure how it will work in a combination with the triangle/foot box. I think the linear edge is needed in the foot box area but I am not sure. The down side the side panel needs to be redesigned because the edge will be longer. Could be the panel could be corrected by adding the shape of the cat cut but it will be harder to line up or maybe just make it a bit longer?



Just a thought

Catcut side.png

[xxl_hanger]

I see no change to get enlightened (!) and do not understand the math behind the WBBB footbox design. After severe reading of various old threads I have only a rough idea what the dimensions of the footbox should be and what structural ramifications I can expect if I alter the design. And my paper templates show me already what can happen if I do something wrong - even without a bug net the design is not easy. In order to get started I decided to sew a zipper and identical panels on both sides like JerryW did it with his roomy #5 hammock. That way it is a little easier to get the bug net finished and I can decide about a custom-made footbox/shelf later or realize some other options. Since I'm a side sleeper it could happen that I get lucky without a footbox too.

After my failed project I have been thinking. Apparently some don’t like the high side by the shelf and I am one of them. So why not make a cat cut at the top end of the side? I think 6”-8” would be what I would go for.

Think again. This is only one question I cannot answer. I'm sure there are a lot more. I would in no case cut into the hammock body. The right side is not only higher. It is shorter (because of the shorter hypotenuse of the footbox triangle) and has therefore a much higher tension than the other side. But the main question is, what this differences mean for the bug net. How can it be, that the bug net is (or should be) symmetric if you pitch all together?

[Snowball]

This foot box thing is complicated. I do understand the triangle (hypotenuse)a^2+b^2=c^2. What feels good or bad is a matter of preference not so much the design but I do like this design. However I could not care less how a hammock looked if it felt good and was functional.
Some time ago I made a test hammock where I added a triangle shape on the right half side in the foot end. What it did was lowering the hammock bottom somewhat similar to this WBBB clone design. At the time I did not pay much attention to it because it did not behave like I was hoping for at the time but in hindsight what I should have done was adding a triangle as a lid/side. I am not sure it would have high and tight sides.
The bug net can be symmetrical because the total length of each sides are more or less the same when you include the perimeter of the shelf. The right side of the hammock is below the net and has no impact on the top right hand side. The left side is in theory forced into the same shape by the tie outs.
I better stop. It was not my intension to highjack this thread and it is moving away from the original topic.
If I have some leftover 1.9 nylon for a new foot box I think I will try the cat cut thing and if its relevant I will post the results here. Let’s see what happens.